Volupte Review

Book a table at Volupte

Volupté is a small supper club in London’s legal quarter, near the diamond district of Hatton Gardens, in a cobblestone side street behind High Holborn. The fact that Volupté is tucked away like this adds to the feeling of discovering a secret treasure – and it is certainly a velvet-lined jewellery box of delights.

The entrance to the Volupté cocktail bar is at street level. The bar - free to enter - serves a range of delicious drinks whose names recall the glamour of yesteryear. Sip on a Boo Boo Bi Doo... Boop! or The Dietrich. Lads may like to try the Gentlemen Prefer... or go for more traditional gin rickeys, martinis and the like. Whatever the tipple, it will be well crafted by bar staff who know their stuff. But the drinks alone, while lovely, are given an extra infusion of enjoyment by the decadent environment and well-dressed crowd.

Volupté is not your usual mid-week City-drinking establishment. Here, the elegance is turned up a notch – expect vintage va-va-voom and victory rolls from the ladies, and chaps in spats (well, sometimes), sporting whiskers and Brylcreem. It’s not a requisite to go all out, but most who come here make the effort to scrub up nicely. And on weekends, when Volupté runs retro-themed club nights, things are even more decadent. But more of that later. I haven’t even taken you downstairs yet!

To enter the inner sanctum of the Volupté Lounge, there is usually a cover charge. The option to pay just to see the show is there, but it’s more civilised to book a table for a meal as well, thus experiencing the cabaret, burlesque and vaudeville delights of Volupté’s stage in comfort.

After descending the stairs and passing through a thick crimson curtain, we were seated at our table of eight (tables for two and four are also available). The tiny venue was full and the Tuesday night crowd all seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was an excited buzz in the air – it was the semi-final of the V-Factor, Volupté’s variety performer competition, which meant we saw a whopping 13 acts in the space of about 3 hours.

Service was efficient if a little harried, due to a combination of lots of people milling about and the loud, big-band style music to get us in the mood. The menu is not wildly exciting with staples of chicken (spicy Caribbean with rice) beef fillet, pan-fried sea bass and pasta of the day. Wine was priced from £23 (house) up to about £40 and we found a very decent NZ pinot noir for £28. A night at Volupté will never be a cheap one.

For starters we had a plate of parma ham, rocket and parmesan – perfectly fine and nicely presented, although deemed rather dull by my dining companion. The mains were also very serviceable, as were the veggie sides. Desserts were a sweet-if-predictable selection of tiramisu, pannacotta or chocolate fondant. This is basically high-quality wedding ceremony food – it does the job but doesn’t detract from the main attraction. We weren’t complaining though because the lure of Volupté is not the cuisine, but the fun times.

Expect a highly enjoyable if slightly chaotic show experience: the sensual fun of good (and bad) burlesque, magic, cabaret songs and vampy dance routines performed on a floor space the size of a Twister mat. A well-oiled crowd is also guaranteed, thoroughly committed to taking advantage of Volupté’s hedonistic offerings. And if it’s the weekend, expect much the same, but with even more drinking, dancing and decadence! ...read more

Volupte Description

Encouraging indulgence and decadence, Volupté is a world that's been dreamed up by two girls and packed inside a two-floor bar and restaurant near Chancery Lane station in the heart of London. Accompanied by magnificent cabaret, you can enjoy equally exceptional cuisine in the gorgeous Cabaret Salon for lunch and dinner, as well as afternoon tea every Saturday afternoon. Every evening showcases something different, and the supper club ethos of serving dinner whilst guests enjoy the show certainly ensures maximum possible entertainment! On Saturday evenings there are two sittings - the early at 18:30 and the late at 21:30, during which you may witness anything from burlesque extravaganzas and vaudeville comedy to quality live music and even circus performances. The intimate environment adds an ethereal quality to the evening. There's nothing quite like having a feather-clad girl perform aerial hoop-tricks above your head whilst you tuck into your medium-rare Springbok! Open from Monday to Friday, 12pm till late....read more

Customer Reviews for Volupte

Average (based on 7 votes): 7 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Volupte.

“Sultry, sexy, funny, enthralling. All a man really wants really. Oh, and food & wine of course. I may just move here.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
The Restaurant Hunter, London (10 months 22 days ago)

“Volupte is a fantastic place. I've had some of my best nights out in London here. It's not where you'd want to go for a casual, quiet night out, but if you're after vintage glamour and decadence, Volupte is the place to be!”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Lilac, London (2 years 3 months 11 days ago)

“I love Volupte lounge. If you're expecting a quiet meal, this is not your place. Prepare yourself for a bawdy evening of tassels and titillation, while sipping your Boo Boo Bi Doo cocktail. This review is spot on about the food. It's not bad food, but definitely not going to have any Michelin chefs worried either. It's uninspired and perfectly acceptable fare. But let's face it, you won't be there for the food.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Siobhan, Sydney (2 years 3 months 11 days ago)

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Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: European
• Dress Code: Not Specified
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)